Design and Engineering

Best Practices for Value Engineering AV

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There comes a time in almost every architectural project when budgets have to be re-evaluated. The process of budget alignment, known as value engineering, tends to hit “optional” items first, a category that frequently includes audiovisual (AV) technology. So how can an architect or owner make smart decisions about how to reduce the cost of AV … Read more

Solving Conference Room Acoustics Problems: Three Good Strategies

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No matter how much money you invest in conference room technology, you’ll inevitably be disappointed in the experience if your conference room acoustics are bad. Conference room acoustics are frequently a challenge because these environments tend to be full of hard surfaces: gypsum board walls, glass, tables, screens. All of these elements create what is referred to … Read more

Smart Buildings & Data Responsibility: What to Know Now

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2018 was a big year for changes in the way that people interact with technology. On the one hand, adoption of smart devices has never been greater, with more than 19 million smart speakers (Amazon Echo and the like) shipped in just the third quarter of 2018. On the other hand, the European Union’s GDPR (General … Read more

Door Hardware: Solving the Architect’s Biggest Headache

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When it comes to building design, doors are among the most problematic coordination items. I think most architects would agree with that statement. But to the uninitiated, it can sound ridiculous. They’re just doors, right? In fact, in modern buildings, a door can be a technology platform, and a sort of architectural project in miniature, involving … Read more

Should Technology Infrastructure Be Part of Your Base Building Design?

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When commercial building developers assemble a core and shell design team, it typically includes the consultants they feel are necessary to complete the base building design. What makes up the base building scope? Usually, it’s defined as the site infrastructure (roads, paths, pavement, drainage, landscape), building foundation and structure, building envelope, finished circulation and common areas … Read more

When to Engage a Technology Consultant on a Project

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Designing a building, either from the ground up or as a major renovation project, is an ambitious and complex undertaking. Technology infrastructure (also known as “low-voltage”) is just one element of these complex projects, but it’s an element that’s not often on the owner’s or design team’s mind at the forefront.

That needs to change. Network performance affects every aspect of business today, and telecommunications cabling and network systems must increasingly be considered part of the base building design scope to ensure the system works on day one and can grow and evolve over the life of the building.

In this piece, we talk with TEECOM Principal, Executive Vice President Larry Anderson about when to engage a technology consultant, including the pitfalls of waiting too long and how bringing on a consultant at the right phase can actually save the project money.

Summer Internship Dos and Don’ts

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  This is my last week as an intern on TEECOM’s Research and Development team. Although I only spent two months here, my time was quite productive. I worked on a few different projects, but spent the majority of my time designing a neural network for detecting people in images. I’m sad that time is coming to an … Read more

Four Key Executive Briefing Center Audiovisual Strategies

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Executive Briefing Center Audiovisual Strategies Executive and customer briefing centers (EBCs and CBCs) can create enduring impressions on visitors. How can the media systems we design help make them wonderful places? Consider these four key executive briefing center audiovisual strategies: First and foremost, let’s tell a coherent, compelling story: All the audiovisual tricks in the world can’t make up … Read more

From AV Integrator to Consultant: a Guide to Making the Leap

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Three professions form a symbiotic Venn in the professional audiovisual industry: Manufacturers, consultants, and integrators. Manufacturers make the audiovisual systems components, consultants choose and combine components to meet the client’s needs, and integrators install the systems as designed. As Josh Srago describes it, “Imagine the project design is a paint-by-numbers. The consultant’s role is to draw … Read more